African safari- luxury

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are we talking per person for these types of experiences?

PP at 21:35. We paid about 15k for two of us, not including flights to and from the Africa (but did include bush flights) for 10days in 2021, including one night at Arusha Coffee Lodge, 3 nights at Sayari Camp in the Serengeti, 2 nights at The Highlands at Ngorongoro, and the rest at a villa in a resort in Zanzibar. This included pretty much everything but tips. This was in November, which is shoulder season so a bit cheaper (but I highly recommend it -- we had a guide and vehicle to ourselves at both resorts because the camps were not full and we saw every animal, including the big five). We wanted for nothing, and the hospitality was incredible (it was an anniversary trip and at every place they had incredible celebrations for us).

I was provided several options by the travel agent, and we did go with the most expensive options. But this was four years ago and I imagine things cost more now.

For luxury Africa, that actually is very cheap.

+1. I want to know what OP means by “luxury.” I have been to some of those places mentioned and they are very nice, you want for nothing, you have your own guide/car, etc— but I wouldn’t call them luxury. I’ve done several safari trips and it is typically in the $15k-$20k range for a great trip.

I also know people who have spent $50k-$100k. That’s what I expected by “luxury.” We’re talking private planes, several weeks with a chef in the bush, and so on.

I'm the PP who stayed at Asilia properties. I only have experience with Tanzania. It was luxury for the bush. If you look up the properties you will see that Sayari has beautiful private tents and The Highlands is the nicest camp near Ngorongoro and it is perched on the edge of the crater and you stay in glass igloo structures where you can look up at the stars. Neither has a private chef. But at the villa we stayed at in Zanzibar we did have a chef. But you aren't going to get "several weeks with a chef in the bush" on a $50k trip. Not to Tanzania anyway. Private planes are a bit easier to come by -- there are a lot of bush pilots. But what is most important is that our guides were incredible; if you go on Safari, that is what matters, and the better properties have the better guides.

Oh I agree something like Asilia is very nice and don’t mean to knock it at all. I just don’t know what OP is looking for. I’m the PP who has done a few really nice safari trips that I would recommend (including to an Asilia property!) But just in comparison, I know people who spent 10 times more and had things that I don’t care about, like the private jet or chef, for example. (No one needs to do any of that obviously. I’ve also done shoestring safari, literally driving myself, and had a blast.)

So that’s what I expected of “luxury.” But if OP is looking for a fabulous trip at a four to five star-ish hotel, there are lots of options. You don’t do need to rough it by any stretch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which part of Africa? It is quite a sizeable country. We stayed at Little Governor's camp in Kenya in the Mara: https://governorscamp.com
Governors is a bigger camp where you share safari vehicles with other people so there are timed excursions. Little Governor's is very small, private and you have a dedicated driver. You must fly in a small plane to Little Governors, then you cross a small river (with guards keeping the hippos away) and then you get there ... it is truly magnificent.

I also love Virunga, in the DRC, for gorilla trekking. The Virunga hotel is very high end - although not sure what the status is after the Rwanda incursion into Goma.

Country? Try continent!

54 countries to be exact!

[Anonymous]

Morukuru in South Africa was luxurious and absolutely amazing --- truly phenomenal, gorgeous, they treat guests like royalty

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Singita

This. The rest of the names here are all inferior. Truthfully, book direct through singita.com. Do 2-3 of their lodges.
Best trip of our lives. We are UHNW.
for more advice go to, r/fattravel for more insight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Singita

This. The rest of the names here are all inferior. Truthfully, book direct through singita.com. Do 2-3 of their lodges.
Best trip of our lives. We are UHNW.
for more advice go to, r/fattravel for more insight.

That’s the only one you know. As if you have seen them all to determine what’s not up to snuff.

[Anonymous]

Try Custom Safaris. They are locally based out of Rockville. The owner, Linda Friedman, planned our honeymoon for us. It is hands down the best trip I have ever taken.

https://www.customsafaris.com

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Singita

This. The rest of the names here are all inferior. Truthfully, book direct through singita.com. Do 2-3 of their lodges.
Best trip of our lives. We are UHNW.
for more advice go to, r/fattravel for more insight.

That’s the only one you know. As if you have seen them all to determine what’s not up to snuff.

+1.

(Pretty sure it was a weirdly written ad, though.)

[Anonymous]

We had a great experience with Dulini a few years ago in South Africa. They have different lodges that each have a different. We loved the River lodge, which had huge rooms with private pools, outdoor showers, and soaking tubs. The food was delicious. Saw the big 5 and lots more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which part of Africa? It is quite a sizeable country. We stayed at Little Governor's camp in Kenya in the Mara: https://governorscamp.com
Governors is a bigger camp where you share safari vehicles with other people so there are timed excursions. Little Governor's is very small, private and you have a dedicated driver. You must fly in a small plane to Little Governors, then you cross a small river (with guards keeping the hippos away) and then you get there ... it is truly magnificent.

I also love Virunga, in the DRC, for gorilla trekking. The Virunga hotel is very high end - although not sure what the status is after the Rwanda incursion into Goma.

Amazing - it's not a country at all. It's over 80 on the continent. All I could think was a thread that says 'African safari-luxury' would reek of ignorance. You want to take a trip to a continent and have zero idea where to start? Keep your @ss at home and stop embarrassing Americans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Singita

This. The rest of the names here are all inferior. Truthfully, book direct through singita.com. Do 2-3 of their lodges.
Best trip of our lives. We are UHNW.
for more advice go to, r/fattravel for more insight.

That’s the only one you know. As if you have seen them all to determine what’s not up to snuff.

+1.

(Pretty sure it was a weirdly written ad, though.)

No, that was me. I find that other forum very helpful for luxury travel?
And tried several safari operators. Singita is hands down the best. And probably the most expensive.
But the very best.
My opinion - and there is a lot of advice out there for luxury African safaris. Everyone tries to upsell you on weird combos. Trust that you know what you like.
Do a LOT of research.

[Anonymous]

I have friends who highly recommend https://howardsaunders.com/ for a really well done luxury safari.

[Anonymous]

I have gone with AndBeyond several times to South Africa and Kenya/East Africa. They will book you into lodges besides the ones they manage-a full range of nice, luxury, to LUXURY. If your group is large, some camps also have private villas that look lovely. Pool, chef, etc but you have access to the camp's game drives and other activities. The biggest thing I look for in a camp/lodge is how many people are in each car for the games drives. 6 is fine, 4 is great, 9 is not worth paying luxury prices for! (You can almost always pay extra for a private drive too.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Micato

This

You can also try Natural Migrations (custom)

Natural Habitat is luxury too, but Micato is gold standard. imo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Singita

This. The rest of the names here are all inferior. Truthfully, book direct through singita.com. Do 2-3 of their lodges.
Best trip of our lives. We are UHNW.
for more advice go to, r/fattravel for more insight.

That’s the only one you know. As if you have seen them all to determine what’s not up to snuff.

+1.

(Pretty sure it was a weirdly written ad, though.)

No, that was me. I find that other forum very helpful for luxury travel?
And tried several safari operators. Singita is hands down the best. And probably the most expensive.
But the very best.
My opinion - and there is a lot of advice out there for luxury African safaris. Everyone tries to upsell you on weird combos. Trust that you know what you like.
Do a LOT of research.

So just googling, it looks like that would be about $30,000 for a week for a family of four, plus airfare? Is that about right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Try Custom Safaris. They are locally based out of Rockville. The owner, Linda Friedman, planned our honeymoon for us. It is hands down the best trip I have ever taken.

https://www.customsafaris.com

No